Friday, July 31, 2015

Mada Masr

Recent investigations revealed that the
Qalyubiya Civil Protection Department had refused to grant a license to
an Obour City furniture factory that went up in flames on Tuesday, due
to a lack of appropriate safety measures.

Privately
owned Al-Shorouk newspaper reported that the factory of around 150
workers didn’t have any safety exits, which further delayed the rescue
process. Most of the factories in this area lack the necessary
industrial safety requirements, according to Al-Shorouk.

Citing a
security source, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the
fire erupted due the explosion of gas cylinders that were being
transported across floors by workers.

The collapse of the
staircase inside the factory was one of the main reasons behind the high
death toll, the privately owned Al-Wafd newspaper reported, adding that
most fatalities happened among workers on the second and third floors.

Qalyubiya
Governor Mohamed Abdel Zaher said the families of the deceased would
receive compensation from the government, in addition to the promised
compensation from the factory owner and the Urban Communities Authority.

A committee of technical experts is due to visit neighboring buildings and factories to check for further damages from the fire.

Health
Ministry official Mohamed Lasheen stated on Thursday that 20 of the
injured have now been discharged from hospital, having mostly suffered
from superficial burns or suffocation.

Industrial safety expert
Fatma Ramadan told Mada Masr that safety requirements are tailored
toward specific facilities and their work, and usually include
precautions for fires as well as chemical, electricity and radiation
hazards.

Each industrial facility should abide by the safety
measures set by the government departments for civil protection,
mechanical engineering and occupational health and safety.

Every
industrial facility should have at least two safety exits that lead to
the outside the premises, Ramadan explained, as “if the first exit is
blocked because of a fire or the destruction of parts of the building,
the second is then hopefully available.”

The prosecutor general
ordered that the owner and the manager of the factory be detained on
Wednesday for four days, pending investigations, according to
Reuters-affiliated Aswat Masreya.

*Photo of Obour factory fire courtesy of EPA

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

A sex scandal involving an Egyptian judge has exposed corruption within Egypt's controversial judicial system

July 30, 2015

An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal act, it can be dismissed in return for the judge's resignation.

Abdel Hady first denied the allegations and refused to resign. However, he was forced to resign on Tuesday after Judge Mahmoud Kamel el-Rashidi - who was behind the acquittal of ousted President Hosni Mubarak in what was often referred to as the 'Trial of the Century' - banned him from entering the court.

Abdel Hady came to be known for ruling in a number of high profile political cases.

Last month, he ruled in favour of TV presenter Ahmed Moussa, who is considered by many to be a government propagandist. Moussa had allegedly defamed Osama al-Ghazali Harb, head of the Democratic Front party, accusing him while on air of "working against the state."

In another case, Abdel Hady sentenced five girls - who were accused of violating the anti-protest law - to five years in prison and a 100,000 Egyptian Pounds ($US 12,767) fine each.

The case is only a few days old, but it has already sparked controversy all over local and social media, renewing the debate on the corruption of Egypt's judiciary.

"There are serious questions on the independence and partiality of the Egyptian judiciary", Nicholas Piachaud, a London-based Egypt researcher at Amnesty International, told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
"The Egyptian judiciary has become a weapon in the crackdown on dissent", he added.

"Egypt's judges are not taking on the security forces, who have near total impunity for their human rights violations. Instead, they hand down heavily politicised verdicts against opposition members, journalists, and protesters."

Earlier this year, mass death sentences were passed against hundreds of alleged Muslim Brotherhood supporters, and were condemned by multiple rights groups.

In contrast, charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of protesters during the 2011 revolution were dropped last year.

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

An
Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a
Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman
in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge
Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority
and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded
phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in
return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an
investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in
the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until
further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend,
and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a
criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. -
See more at:
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

Mada Masr

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled
against another four workers on Saturday, permanently dismissing them
from their jobs and forcing them into early retirement for exercising
their right to strike.

Judicial sources told local media outlets
that the workers were employed at the State Council Court in Alexandria
and sought to obstruct the workings of the court through strike action,
which dates back to April 2013.

These dismissals follow a judicial decree
penalizing strikes in the public sector, which was issued by the
Supreme Administrative Court on April 28. The decree stipulates that
work stoppages violate a military decree issued in 2011, as well as
Sharia law. The provisions of the decree are final and cannot be
appealed in courts.

Following the issuing of the decree, three
striking municipal workers from the Nile Delta Governorate of Monufiya
were forced into early retirement by order of the Administrative Court
in late April.

The four workers dismissed Saturday were found
guilty of obstructing the operations of a state authority. The
Reuters-affiliated Aswat Masriya, claimed that they were also accused of
attempting to switch off electricity to the judges’ chamber at
Alexandria’s State Council Court during a session.

The court ruled
in this incident that, “Islamic law does not approve of strikes if
their intent is to cause detriment to others,” Aswat Masriya reported.

Critics
of the decree argue its use against strike action is unconstitutional
and represents punitive measures that deprive the working classes of
their basic rights.

Article 15 of Egypt’s 2014 Constitution
enshrines this freedom, stipulating: “The right to peaceful strike shall
be regulated by the law.”

The Egyptian State has also ratified
several international labor and human rights conventions recognizing the
right to strike, which critics say are being disregarded.

Dozens
of public sector workers, particularly from the Public Transport
Authority, are currently standing trial on charges of instigating
strikes in their workplaces.

Egyptian authorities on Tuesday arrested the head of a journalists
syndicate and accused him of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood,
according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns
the arrest and calls on the Egyptian government to release Aboubakr
Khallaf immediately.

Khallaf is the founder and head of the independent Electronic Media Syndicate (EMS), which trains
and supports journalists who work online in Egypt. The syndicate
operates independently from the state-recognized Egyptian Journalists
Syndicate.

A 1998 executive order
states that individuals conducting audio and audiovisual work must have
a license from the Ministry of Culture. According to AFTE, the
accusation is in connection with Khallaf photographing the funeral of
Hisham Barakat, Egypt's prosecutor general who was assassinated late
last month.

On Wednesday, a Cairo prosecutor extended Khallaf's detention for
four days, the sources said. He has not been formally charged.

Khallaf was arrested after a news article was published on Friday by the government-owned daily Akhbar Elyoum, which accused Khallaf and his syndicate, along with other media outlets, including the news website Masr Al-Arabiya, of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and receiving money from the group.

On Saturday, Khallaf denied the accusations on his personal Facebook page. On July 21, Masr Al-Arabiyawrote an open letter to the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, saying it was a victim of a smear campaign and that the staff demanded a right of reply.

Egyptian authorities were holding at least 18 journalists in jail on June 1, according to a census conducted by CPJ. Most of the journalists were accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood.

"We see a pattern of reports by government-aligned media accusing
journalists and news outlets of working for the Muslim Brotherhood,
followed by the arrests of those journalists. Authorities have already
used this charge to put a record number of journalists in jail," said
Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.
"Egyptian authorities should release Aboubakr Khallaf immediately and
stop this harassment of critical media groups."

Last week, authorities arrested Yahya Khalaf, the director of Yaqeen news network, and raided the outlet's offices after the government-aligned Egyptian news website Al-Watan
reported that the network had employed members of the Muslim
Brotherhood. Khalaf remains in custody.

On July 16, the Egyptian
Ministry of Interior released a statement on its Facebook page saying the raid on Yaqeen's offices was part of a crackdown on the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. On Monday, the network announced on its Facebook page that it was shutting down.

Also on Tuesday, a Cairo court extended the pre-trial detention of
freelance photographer Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as "Shawkan," to
August 3, according to news reports. Zeid has been imprisoned
since August 2013 and has been accused of weapons possession, illegal
assembly, murder, and attempted murder. He has not been formally
charged, according to the Freedom for Shawkan campaign.

Mada Masr

Wednesday - July 22, 2015

The second quarter of 2015 has witnessed a
nationwide total of 385 labor protests, according to figures compiled by
the independent Mahrousa Center for Socioeconomic Development on Wednesday. This is a slight decrease in the occurrence of industrial actions, with a total of 393 labor protests reported in the first quarter of this year.

In
comparison to Mahrousa’s figures from the year 2014, the first quarter
(January-March) of last year witnessed 1,420 labor protests, while the
second quarter (April-June) of that same year had witnessed a mere 231.

While
greater than the total number of labor protests during the second
quarter of 2014, the 385 industrial actions reported during the second
quarter of 2015 include strikes, sit-in protests, marches, workplace
occupations, work slowdowns, boss-nappings, and hunger strikes,
among other forms of protest.

Under
the auspices of the Ministry of Manpower, the signing of decrees to
abstain from strikes – by representatives of both the state-controlled
unions and independent labor federations – may also have contributed to the decline in work-stoppages and other industrial actions.

Mahrousa’s
findings indicate that the driving forces behind many of these labor
protests are demands for improved wages, overdue payments and bonuses,
lack of promotions or pay raises, hazardous working conditions and poor
safety standards, punitive sackings and mass lay-offs, forced
relocations, pay-cuts, and demotions, among other grievances.

According
to Mahrousa’s figures, most of these 385 labor protests took place
among factory employees and manual workers – 136 in specific.

The
second sector most affected by labor protests – with 68 protests – is
reported to be the public sector, civil service and governmental
institutions.

Disgruntled medical professionals and hospital staffs came in third place with 30 protests.

With
20 protests, Egypt’s educational sector, including employees of both
public and private universities, represented the fourth sector most
affected by industrial actions.

The fifth sector reported to be
most affected by industrial actions is that of journalism and mass
media, with a total of 19 protests.

Other sectors that have
witnessed significant incidents of labor unrest during the second
quarter of 2015 include those of agriculture, transportation, informal
and seasonally employed workers, as well as imams and mosque employees.

Clashes between police and protesters left at least six dead and
three injured in Giza on Friday morning, according to Health Ministry
officials.

The violence reportedly broke out after supporters of
former President Mohamed Morsi led a number of small marches after the
Eid morning prayers.

On Thursday evening, a message allegedly sent by Morsi
from prison was published on the Muslim Brotherhood's official website.
The statement called on Morsi's supporters to continue the revolution,
saying, "My unshakable confidence in victory knows no bounds. Your
revolution will be studied by all peoples, so persist to victory, for in
it lies the salvation of this homeland."

Health Ministry
spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told Mada Masr the clashes occurred in
the Talbiya district, near the Giza pyramids. Ghaffar said the
casualties were sent to hospitals in Konaisa, but did not provide
further details.

The privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm
reported that four of the deaths occurred in the Talbiya district, while
one person was killed in Nahiya and another person in Kerdasa.

The
state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram quoted security sources as saying that
nearly 300 Muslim Brotherhood supporters gathered in protest in Talbiya
on Friday morning. Sources claimed that the protesters fired live
ammunition and fireworks at local residents, then opened fire on
security forces when they arrived, provoking a gun battle.

Eyewitnesses
to another bloody Friday protest in the Giza town of Nahiya have posted
photos and testimonies to social media sites supporting the narrative
that at least in Nahiya, the police initiated the violence as they
dispersed a peaceful demonstration.

According to the Facebook page of photojournalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, a protest rally demanding the release of political prisoners began after the conclusion of Eid prayers.

Under the hashtag “Bloody Eid,” Ziada also posted a photo of a wounded protester he identified Hossam al-Aqabawi, whom the photojournalist claims was shot in the head with a lead bullet.

Another photojournalist, Belal Wagdy, posted photos of a blood-soaked protester being
carried away after allegedly being shot by live ammunition. Wagdy
updated the post to add that the protester later died of his injuries.

Wagdy
claimed that police first opened fire on the protesters with lead
bullets, then began shooting birdshot and teargas canisters. Men and
women were among the wounded, many suffering from birdshot injuries, he
said.

Beyond the figures supplied by the Ministry of Interior and
Heath Ministry, who currently state that one person died in
Nahiya, there is no definitive tally of the number of dead and injured
protesters across Giza on Friday.

Security officials also report
that at least one homemade bomb went off outside Cinema Rabudis in Giza
on Friday morning, while another was defused, according to local
media. No injuries have been reported.

The Protest Law
effectively bans non-officially sanctined demonstrations, and grants
security forces wide leeway in their methods of dispersing
protestors. Although large demonstrations have been rare since the
passage of the law in November 2013, Morsi’s supporters and other
activists have continued to hold small marches in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities. These demonstrations have frequently been met with deadly force.

New York Times

Editorial Board

July 16, 2015

For decades, Egypt’s authoritarian leaders used the Emergency Law to
oppress and intimidate government critics under the guise of national
security. In coming weeks, officials are expected to pass a new,
similarly repressive law that would give authorities even more sweeping
powers to continue cracking down on government critics and censor the
press.

Passing the so-called counter-terrorism law, which has been in the works for several months, has become a priority for the government after recent high-profile attacks by militants in Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula.

While
Egyptians are understandably unnerved by the growing violence, the new
power sought by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi should be subject to
greater scrutiny. Egypt is already a police state.

Recent drafts of the
counter-terrorism law and other steps the government has taken stand to
make it even more repressive. That should be of deep concern to
Egyptians and the country’s allies, including the United States, because
such tactics will likely embolden extremist groups if disaffected
Egyptians are allowed no avenues to express their grievances.

Under
the bill, people could become the subject of terrorism investigations
if the government merely asserts that they “disturb public order and
social peace,” harm “national unity” and hurt the country’s economy. And
the bill would establish special courts for terrorism suspects that
would deliver swift verdicts and expands the list of offenses that would
be punishable by death.

Egypt is currently detaining at least 18 journalists for reporting information government officials deemed inaccurate, according to Amnesty International.
The new law would create even greater press restrictions. For instance,
journalists would be allowed only to report statistics and details
about terrorist attacks from official sources.

In
recent weeks, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has begun issuing new
guidelines to muffle even international journalists. Officials recently handed out a list
of terms reporters should not use in describing terrorist
organizations, including Islamists, fundamentalists, jihadists and the
Islamic State. Instead, journalists are to describe them as “savages,
slayers, destroyers and eradicators.”

Disappointingly,
but not surprisingly, American officials have not publicly expressed
concern about the counter-terrorism law. The State Department, in a
statement to The Times, would only say the United States supports
Egypt’s “fight against terrorism, but we hope that the final version of
this law will support the protection of individual rights for
Egyptians.”

That’s
laughable. Obama administration officials and congressional lawmakers
have been all too willing to overlook the abuses because they see Egypt
as an indispensable ally in a volatile region. In recent weeks, House
and Senate members passed versions of the foreign aid bill that fail to
make the annual $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt contingent on it
taking steps to protect human rights and govern democratically.

In
past years, Congress sought to discourage growing authoritarianism by
requiring the State Department to certify that Egypt was meeting those
criteria. Now, it is merely asking that Cairo adhere to the 1979 peace
treaty with Israel and remain an American ally. By giving up on
worthwhile goals, lawmakers have become complicit in Egypt’s repression.